John Paulding School

Pocantico Hills has been an incredible school for my children, from Pre-K through 8th grade. The school truly cares about both academics as well as social-emotional wellness. The community is engaged, and takes on the philosophy that "It takes a village to raise a child." Best decision was moving to Pocantico.

After much reflection, our family made the decision to leave Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Elmsford at the end of this academic year (June 2025). This was not a decision we came to lightly, but one we felt was necessary based on ongoing concerns about the school environment and how our child, and we as parents, have been treated.During our time at the school, we experienced a general lack of warmth and respect from several members of the staff and leadership. We were shocked because this had not been a part of our initial treatment when we first joined this school. When we raised concerns as parents, particularly regarding teacher-student dynamics and student safety, we felt dismissed rather than heard. Our child had an incident involving physical contact by a staff member that we brought to the attention of the administration, yet we did not receive any clear resolution or timely follow-up. We’ve also observed that students with significant behavioral challenges are not consistently supported in ways that promote a safe or healthy learning environment for all children.We enrolled in this school with the hope of joining a Catholic community grounded in compassion, dignity, and open communication. Sadly, our experience did not reflect those values.We are not alone in making this decision. Several families we know have chosen to leave for similar reasons, pointing to broader concerns about school culture, leadership responsiveness, and the lack of meaningful support for students and families. These departures signal a pattern that we believe deserves careful consideration by those in leadership.We recognize that many alumni and long-time community members hold fond memories of Mount Carmel, and we genuinely respect that. However, the school environment today is not the same as it was 10, 20, or 30 years ago. We believe leadership, staffing, and culture has changed significantly, and our perspective reflects the present-day experiences of our family.We share this review not out of anger or bitterness, but out of a sense of responsibility to inform other families, both those currently enrolled and those considering enrollment. Every child deserves a safe, respectful, and nurturing educational environment. Every parent deserves to have their concerns heard and addressed. And schools have a responsibility to uphold the values they promote, which clearly Mt. Carmel did not do.